Not the Usual
by MaryRoyale
Summary: CoffeeShop!AU Shy Neville likes things a certain way. When a new woman comes into his life he's forced out of his comfort zone. Who knew that trying new things could be so pleasant?


_A/N: CoffeeShop!AU with Padma/Neville and the prompts 'fanciful' and 'hedgehog'. _

Life had a specific routine. Every day Neville would get up at a quarter to 6. He would work out for exactly thirty minutes, shower, dress and head out for work. Every morning without fail he would stop at the corner coffee shop. Every day he ordered the same thing: a plain cup of coffee and a scone.

"Morning Neville," Hannah called cheerfully. "The usual?"

Neville gave her a short nod because it was safer than trying to answer.

It was the same routine everyday like clockwork; until it wasn't.

/\/\/\/\

The bells tinkled over the door as Neville entered the corner coffee shop. He started toward the counter and then he froze. Instead of Hannah there was a strange woman standing behind the counter. Her thick, black hair was pulled back from her face into an intricate braid that had little bells on the end. Every time she moved Neville could hear them chime.

"Welcome to the Fanciful Hedgehog! What can I get for you?"

Panicked, all Neville could do was stare at her with wide eyes. If he hadn't been panicking he might have noticed that she was exceptionally pretty with her beautiful pale honey skin and her wide dark chocolate eyes. Instead, Neville grappled with the need for a cup of coffee and the need to bolt out of the place never to return. She blinked at him.

"Would you like to try our chocolate frog mocha?" She asked after a long moment of awkward silence.

No, he did not want a mocha. He wanted his usual, but that would require speaking to the girl behind the counter and even worse—everyone in the shop hearing him speak. Instead Neville gave a short, sharp nod and tried to keep his features even.

"Okay," the barista drew the word out slowly, but she moved over to the machine and began making the coffee. When she was done she rang him up. "Do you want a chocolate chip muffin to go with it?"

Neville grimaced before he could stop himself.

"So that would be a no," she concluded. "That'll be £3.10."

Neville wordlessly handed the money over, turned on his heel and left the shop.

/\/\/\/\

Being a good friend meant that you helped out when your friends needed you; Hannah had proved that time and time again over the years to Padma. So when Hannah had been the one in need Padma dropped everything to come and help her friend. Hannah's dad had some sort of stroke, and she had needed someone to run her coffee shop while she spent most of her time at hospital. For the most part, running the coffee shop for Hannah was a breeze. The only stumbling block for Padma had been Mr. Tall, Dark and Silent.

"Good morning," Padma called out cheerfully.

Mr. Tall, Dark and Silent gave her a cautious nod.

"How about a breve this morning?" She asked curiously.

He tightened his jaw, and then nodded again.

It had almost become a game. Every morning she would suggest a different type of coffee, and Mr. Tall, Dark and Silent would nod. Through careful attention given to his reactions Padma guessed that he hadn't wanted any of the drinks she'd offered him, but he wasn't willing to speak up and order anything different. He was fascinating, and not the least of which was because of the fact that he was the handsomest man she'd ever seen.

"Good morning! How about a Borgia today?" Padma asked cheerfully.

The sudden stillness of Mr. Tall, Dark and Silent, and the surprise in his wide eyes were clues that he had no idea what Padma was talking about.

"Um, it's a mocha latté with orange peel. They're rather good," Padma offered.

He blinked slowly and then gave her a cautious nod.

"Great!" Padma gave him a wide, sunny smile before she turned to her machine.

It was ridiculous that she was this excited about getting her mystery guy to try something he'd never had before. Maybe… maybe it was because he obviously trusted her not to steer him wrong. A bubbly, fluttery feeling filled her chest and she grinned to herself. When she was done she turned and handed over the drink.

"Try it," she encouraged. "Let's see if you like it."

He took a cautious, careful sip and then he blinked at her in surprise.

"You like it?" She guessed.

He nodded and gave her a crooked smile that revealed slight dimples. Padma's heart began to pound in her chest and she knew she was in trouble. Dimples had always been her weakness.

/\/\/\/\/\

Somehow, the girl with bells in her hair had become the bright spot in Neville's day. Every day she gave him something new and different, and he tried each one. So far, each coffee had been surprisingly good. They hadn't been what he'd wanted, or what he had thought he wanted, but they'd been... good. He had slowly learned to trust her choices. Maybe he spent far too much time thinking about the way her smile flashed bright against the pale gold of her skin, or the way even her eyes smiled at him. Without even realizing it his feet carried him toward 'the Fanciful Hedgehog'.

"Good afternoon," she called, but when she realized it was him surprise flickered in her eyes. She shook her head and her small bells chimed. "Was today so bad that you needed a mid-day pick me up?"

The coffee shop was almost deserted and from somewhere deep inside Neville managed to work up the courage to speak to her.

"Y-y-yes," he managed to get out and then he flushed with embarrassment.

Her eyes widened and she gave him a brilliantly bright smile. "Well, I'm sorry that your day's not going well, but I'm selfishly glad that you came to see me."

His flush grew darker.

She held out her hand to him. "My name's Padma, by the way. I've been making you coffee for weeks and it seems so silly to call you Mr. Tall, Dark and Silent in my head."

He took her hand in his, reveling in her soft skin. "N-n-neville."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Neville," Padma murmured, and looked up at him.

Neville smiled and ducked his head.

"So, what do you want Neville?" Padma asked curiously. "I know that whatever I've made you isn't what you really wanted."

"W-whatever you choose," Neville replied. "I... I've liked everything you've made me."

Padma quirked a brow at him. "You're putting a lot of faith in me," she warned him.

He blushed. "I-I trust you," he said firmly.

Padma gave him another brilliant smile. "Okay, then," she murmured.


End file.
